THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH REAL WORLD SKILLS.
The Plain View Combined School is the latest school on island to receive equipment for the opening of a SMART classroom. The equipment was donated by the Embassy of Taiwan and forms part of the Ministry of Education’s ICT in Education Program supported by the Government of Taiwan.
Permanent Secretary in the Department Education, Innovation and Gender Relations, Michelle Charles, noted that the Department of Education remains committed to providing students with real world skills, enabling them to become self-sufficient. The opening of the classroom, she explained, sets the foundation for the development of technological competencies required to succeed in the global environment.
During the handing over ceremony, Ms Charles told the students: “This gift is an investment in you because you are the future. We wish to ensure that you possess the requisite skills necessary to navigate this very dynamic digital space. We believe in the ability of your teachers to integrate the use of technology into your everyday instruction and we trust that you will be receptive and excited to learn through varying approaches.”
The equipment included Chromebook laptops, projectors, and an educational interactive television set. This will aid in ensuring that students have access to IT equipment and are ready for the online learning environment.
Taiwanese Ambassador HE Peter Chen said: “The reopening of school does underscore the imperativeness of incorporating ICT in the education system for the future. We hear about coding, robotics, drones, e-business, artificial intelligence on a daily basis, and the ICT in Education Programme makes sure that we are smart and strategic in providing the resources that are necessary in teaching and learning for the future.”
Principal of the Plain View Combined School, Ella Thomas-John, assured that the SMART classroom and the equipment received will be put to good use. She said: “Presently, distributed learning is the desired approach for teaching. Therefore, our attention should focus on how well we can use the ICTs and how best to develop, utilize and leverage students’ brainpower.
“Through its use we promise that as the phenomenal school that we have proven and continue to be and as our motto enunciates we will crave for knowledge, pray for wisdom and determine to sail through our future conquests in this smart classroom. We also thank you for the additional component of teacher training. Acknowledging that planning to teach virtually is different from planning to teach in a physical classroom, teacher training is paramount.”
The Plain View Combined School is the only primary school in the south of the island included in the SMART Classroom Program.
